Funding, ideology and the aesthetics of the development film in postcolonial Zimbabwe

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Periodical article

Title:	Funding, ideology and the aesthetics of the development film in postcolonial Zimbabwe
Author:	Fisher, Alexander
Year:	2010
Periodical:	Journal of African Cinemas (ISSN 1754-923X)
Volume:	2
Issue:	2
Pages:	111-120
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Zimbabwe
Subjects:	films aesthetics development cooperation
About persons:	Godwin Mawuru Tsitsi Dangarembga (1959-)
Abstract:	This article considers the relationships between aesthetics and ideology in donor-funded development filmmaking from Zimbabwe, examining in particular how the films' producers have attempted to popularize a genre of filmmaking that has its roots in colonial cinema. Making close reference to two productions from the Harare-based Media for Development Trust (MFD) - 'Neria' (Godwin Mawuru, 1992), and 'Everyone's Child' (Tsitsi Dangarembga, 1996), both of which may be regarded as archetypal examples of their genre - the article demonstrates how the films deploy a range of aesthetic strategies to imbue a set of narratives drawn from colonial development films with greater impact and cultural resonance for contemporary local audiences. The article also suggests that close analysis of these strategies may provide insights into the relationships between the films' aesthetic dimensions and wider ideological issues in the region. Bibliogr., notes, sum. [Journal abstract]